Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that 'fart' is NOT a swear word!

186 replies

FartingIsntSwearing · 19/10/2014 22:10

OFSTED came to our school and I had my year 7 books taken in. One homework had been to write about an embarrassing incident and a boy had written about farting in class.

I was told the work in the books was a high standard and so on but inspector was surprised I hadn't 'pulled a child up for swearing in his book.'

Since WHEN was 'fart' a swear word!?

OP posts:
3teenageboys · 20/10/2014 15:36

Oh the virtuous ones....chuckle chuckle!

ImnotawitchImyourwife · 20/10/2014 15:37

DS (age 2) went through a phase of calling them happy poos which I LOVED! Unfortunately it didn't last long and he now trumps (think that's what they say at nursery)

The funniest one I ever heard was squashing frogs Grin

Agree that you must be doing something right OP if that's all Ofsted could find to complain about!

QueenofallIsee · 20/10/2014 15:38

I hear the word knackered and think it is impolite (I am genuinely not being provocative here, just trying to demonstrate how massively varied a subject this is!). It derives from knackers yard so basically serving no useful purpose appropriated to convey extreme tiredness. I use it (hypocrite) but wouldn't like the kids too. Feel the same about saying 'the bog' rather than 'the loo'...just not nice from children (or adults actually that one) and sounds....rude.

QueenofallIsee · 20/10/2014 15:39

that was to neverletjack by the way!

SconeRhymesWithGone · 20/10/2014 15:41

Knackered is rude? Why? I am American; it's not a common expression here, but I see it all the time in British books and articles. I knew it was slang, but did not know it was considered vulgar by some.

iwantgin · 20/10/2014 15:41

It may not be a 'swear' word, but it's a horrible word.

I very rarely say it. Would say poop instead if I had to say anything ??

squoosh · 20/10/2014 15:42

But 'poop' would surely mean you had sullied your undercrackers?

SconeRhymesWithGone · 20/10/2014 15:43

Poop is what we say in the US for poo.

badasahatter · 20/10/2014 15:49

Kids trump. Adults fart. It's not a swearword, but I don't think it's a nice word for kids to use. I also don't allow 'idiot' 'stupid' or 'bored' and when dd was small, she wasn't allowed to say 'oh God' as it could offend. She uses it now, but it's not so bad coming out of a teenagers mouth.

We have generally used medically correct words for body parts. We didn't do mary and peter like my mum did (made reading fun when I was little) or tuppence and tinkle, like friends do.

My (now) 13 year old will tell you I'm far from a prude, but the word fart coming out of a child's mouth is a bit like the constant repetition of the word 'poo'. It's not swearing, but it's not nice to hear.

Now dd is nearly 14, we don't censor the words so much. A rich language is all part of a good upbringing. That doesn't stop the fact that some words are just wrong coming out of a child's mouth.

squoosh · 20/10/2014 15:51

I'd never even heard the word trump till I'd moved to the UK.

Original poster
FartingIsntSwearing · 20/10/2014 15:51

Yeah I would think someone had shat their pants if someone said 'who pooped?'

I've concluded some of the 'nicer' words are ten times grosser than fart. Anything to do with egg or shit is just horrible!

OP posts:
SconeRhymesWithGone · 20/10/2014 15:54

Interesting about "oh, God." I never say that and taught my children not to say it. I live in the US Bible Belt and many people find it offensive. I know few people, children or adults, whether religious or not, who say it.

ilovekarlhatton · 20/10/2014 15:56

I dnt fink its a swear word jus abit rude i tell my boys to say pump or trump lol

QueenofallIsee · 20/10/2014 15:57

I think the only thing that is certain is that with any given slang, someone will find it vulgar/offensive or wrong! But there really isn't a right or wrong with language, just preference and some societal norms..so you were wrong to be pulled up by the inspector OP, even if I don't like the word myself!

squoosh · 20/10/2014 16:03

I'd better not move to the Bible Belt, blasphemy is second nature to me. 'Oh God', 'Jesus Christ', 'Jesus Mary and Joseph, 'JAYSUS' (for when I'm particularly stressed) and on and on........

cherrybombxo · 20/10/2014 16:07

"Pump" isn't a word I'd use simply because "pumping" in Glasgow is having sex! I hate the word used in that context so I'll stick with fart Grin

lecherrs · 20/10/2014 16:12

QueenofallIsee,

Knackered - that takes me back! I used to get really told off as a child for saying knackered. Was indeed regarded to be a rude word with sexual connotations.

But then again, I wasn't allowed to say bog or grub either! Bizarrely though, I was allowed to say 'bugger'. Round here (south West) it's quite an inoffensive term and people call each other a 'daft bugger' all the time and that's not considered rude. Had some students who once said it to a Mancunian teacher, he was terribly offended by it and wanted the girls punished. I had to explain to them why it can be seen as offensive and they were mortified!

My DH used the term 'twat' and insists it is nothing more than a variation of twit. I think it's more commonly used where he's from, but I see it as quite an offensive term.

I think the thing is, people vary in what they see as acceptable / offensive, so there's no rule that fits all. But, in the context of what the year 7 was writing, there doesn't seem to be much of a viable alternative. for example, there's little reason for writing crap in your homework as there are lots of recognised alternatives. but if fart is the term you use, then there isn't really much of a year 7 way round it really.

CalamityGem · 20/10/2014 16:44

It's funny, was asking this question myself last weekend. I said the word fart in front of my friends 7 year old and he quickly covered her ears and told me she hadn't learned that word yet. I was left wondering if I had been very naughty teaching her a swear word, or if he was over-reacting a little! Confused

SquirrelSwarm · 20/10/2014 17:02

Of course fart is not swearing. Some precious dears on here may not like the word but it's a normal, informal word and a part of our language. I'm not a great one for euphemisms about bodily functions. They suggest we should be ashamed of perfectly natural things such as farting, urinating or defecating. I have a serious gut issue and I fart a lot. I can't help it. It's a good as it's ever going to get. As it is audible there are frequently times when I have to discuss it with people. Don't be so puritanical, peeps, you'd be stuffed if you had a serious chronic condition.
Crap is technically "vulgar slang" and not swearing and I'm happy for my ten year old to use it in context. In fact, I think it's one of the most useful medical descriptions. If you say "I'm feeling crap" people know what you mean ;).

Xenadog · 20/10/2014 17:08

Fart may not be considered swearing but it is definitely a vulgar word which may be appropriate in a family setting but isn't appropriate in a public or formal forum. I have just had to go through explaining this to a year 8 autistic student who queried the same word.

I think if I had marked the work I would just have added something like "...and obviously that's not a word we would use in class or in front of teachers in future, is it?"

It actually makes me feel uncomfortable having a child I'm not related to use that type of language in front of me.

Floggingmolly · 20/10/2014 18:18

Your friend is being more than a little naive if he imagines his 7 year old only knows the precise words he's taught her himself, Calamity.
How would that even work in practice??

LimburgseVlaai · 20/10/2014 18:32

Bakes beans are good for the heart
The more you eat, the more you fart
The more you fart, the better you feel
So eat baked beans with every meal

Thought I'd add this to elevate the discussion to true poetry

RonaldMcDonald · 20/10/2014 18:47

fat is a swear word at my children's school
maybe all f words?

neverletgojack · 20/10/2014 19:24

lecherrs

Twat where I'm from would also be used as 'twit', it wouldn't be considered offensive or rude really.

queen
such different perspectives from all different parts! I think being in NI we don't get the variation on slang that yous do on the mainland haha.
I find it so interesting haha.
I have boys, I dread to think what I'm going to have to listen too in a few yearsConfused

lecherrs · 20/10/2014 19:35

Neverletgo...

I wonder if you're from the same part as DH? (Oxon).

The dictionary definition for twat is "vulgar slang - vulva". My DH maintains he never knew that twat was shorthand for women's genitalia and I've never really believed him before. Do you also totally separate the word from its definition...?

Fascinating! (And maybe I have been a bit harsh on DH Blush). He has now stopped calling our DDs a twat though, to be fair to him!